Diagnostic myelography needle

ABSTRACT

A surgical needle for injecting and removing fluid material from channels of the human body such as the spinal canal. The needle is provided with a lumen closed by a stylus during insertion. The stylus is removed for permitting the injection of fluid and a second stylus smaller than the lumen and projecting beyond the end of the needle is inserted to prevent the body tissues from closing the lumen during aspiration of the injected fluids.

I United States Patent 1 [111 I 3,709,21 1 Hawkins [451 Jan. 9, 1973 s41DIAGNOSTIC MYELOGRAPHY 958,854 5/1910 Bunn ..27/24 A NEEDLE 3,081,7703/1963 Hunter..... .....l28/22l 2,850,007 9 1958 L' 1 ..l28 2 B [76]Inventor: Fred B. Hawkins, 5110 Courville, 2 30 03 341953 12 /221Toledo, Ohio 43623 2,072,346 3/1937 Smith ..27/24 A [22] Filed: July 2,1970 Primary Examiner-Kyle L. Howell PP 51,959 Attorney-Berman, Davidsonand Berman 52 us. Cl. ..l28/2 A, 27/24 A, 128/2 F, [571 ABSTRACT 128/347A surgical needle for injecting and removing fluid Int- Cl. 8 8 8 ..A61bmaterial from channels of the human uch as [58] Field of Search-J28 B, 22 2 A, 205 spinal canal. The needle is provided with a lumen 128/221 5;27/24 A closed by a stylus during insertion. The stylus is removed forpermitting the injection of fluid and a [56] References Cited secondstylus smaller than the lumen and projecting UNITED STATES PATENTSbeyond the end of the needle is inserted to prevent the body tissuesfrom closing the lumen during aspiration 3,175,554 3/1965 Stewart..l28/2 B of the injected fluids. 1,391,464 9/1921 Degenhart ..27/24 A2,674,777 4/1954 Davis ..27/24 A 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures DIAGNOSTICMYELOGRAPHY NEEDLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to surgical needles and particularly tohollow needles which are used for injecting and aspirating fluids fromthe spinal canal.

Summary of the Invention The present invention is directed to a hollowneedle normally closed by a stylus during insertion of the needle. Thestylus is removed to permit the injection of fluids through the hollowneedle and then a second stylus having a diameter substantially lessthan that of the lumen of the needle is inserted through the lumen to apoint beyond the end of the needle to hold the body tissues away fromthe opening in the needle during aspiration to prevent the tissues fromclosing the lumen.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a hollow surgicalneedle for injecting and aspirating fluids from the body having means toprevent the tissues of the body from closing the needle duringaspiration.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingspecification when considered in the light of the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of theinvention shown partially broken away and in section for convenience ofillustration;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a stylus;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the needletip with the stylus of FIG. 2 in place therein; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the structure of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings indetail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughoutthe several figures the reference numeral indicates generally a hollowsurgical needle constructed in accordance with the invention.

The hollow surgical needle 10 includes a head 11 having an elongatehollow tubular shank l2 integrally formed therewith and extendingoutwardly therefrom. An axial bore 13 is formed in the head 11communicating with the hollow shank 12. The hollow shank 12 has itsterminal end truncated at 14 to form a sharp needle edge 15 to cut thebody tissues while inserting the needle 10 therein.

A stylus 16 is formed to exactly fit the opening through the hollowshank 12 and has its lower end truncated at 17 to exactly align with thetruncation 14 of the shank 12. .The stylus 16 extends to a tapered plug18 at the upper end thereof which fits into a tapered socket 19 in thehub 20 on the head 11. A guide key 21 formed on the plug 18 fits into anotch 22 in the hub 20 so as to align the truncated end 17 with thetruncated end 14 of the shank 12. A transversely extending hub 23 isformed on the head ll 1 and has a axial bore 24 extending therethroughcommunicating with the bore 13 of the head 11. A locking air tight cap25 is secured to 25 is in place on the hub 23. v i

A second stylus generally indicated at 26 includes a tapered plug 27having its exterior shape and size identical to the tapered plug 18 andcarrying thereon a key 28, identical to the key 21. A rod 29 isintegrally secured to the plug 27 and extends axially outwardlytherefrom. The rod 29 has a diameter substantially less than that of thebore 13 and the hollow center of the tubular shank 12 as can be clearlyseen in FIG. 3.

The lower end of the rod 29 is reverted to form a loop 30 having amaximum lateral dimension slightly less than the diameter of the bore ofthe hollow shank 12. The length of the rod 29 is such that when the key28 is fully engaged in the notch 22 of the hub 20 the loop 30 willproject slightly past the needle edge 15 on the shank 12. (See FIG. 3)In forming the loop 30 on the rod 29 the rod is reverted tightly uponitself and is secured with metal bonding such as silver solder weldingor the like.

In the use and operation of the invention the following descriptionrefers specifically to a myelographic procedure in which opaque oil isinjected into the spinal canal and then removed by aspiration. It shouldbe understood that the invention may also be used in the injection andor aspiration of fluids from other points in the body where obstructionof the needle upon aspiration is a problem. The procedure followed inuse of the invention is to first insert the stylus 16 in the shank 12 tothe position illustrated in FIG. 1 and then close the bore 24 with thecap 25. The needle 10 is then inserted into the body until the truncatedend 14 of the shank 12 enters the spinal canal. The stylus 16 is thenremoved from the shank 12 and a syringe (not shown) is used to injectopaque oil through the hub 20, bore 13 and hollow shank 12 intothespinal canal. The stylus 26 is then inserted in the shank 12 untilthe loop 30 extends beyond the cutting edge 15 of the shank l2 and thecap 25 isremoved to permit the hub 23 to be connected to an aspiratingpump (not shown). The funtion of the loop 30 projecting beyond the endof the shank 12 is to hold the nerve roots or meninges away from theopening in the shank 12 so that when aspirating suction is applied tothe shank 12 the meninges will not seal against the opening of theneedle and prevent the flow of the opaque oil upwardly through the shank12. The absence of the loop 30 permits the meninges to engage the end ofthe needle causing pain to the patient and preventing the completeremoval of the opaque oil. It should be noted that the rod 29 and loop'30 loosely fit in the bore of the tubular shank 12 so that fluid mayflow easily thereby during aspiration.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention itshould be understood that numerous structural modifications andadaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention. g

What is claimed is:

1. A diagnostic myelography needle for injecting fluids into andaspirating fluids from the spinal canal of a living patient, comprisinga generally cylindrical head, said head having an axial bore extendingtherethrough, a socket formed in one end of said head communicating withthe axial bore in said head, a hub integrally formed with said head andextending laterally therefrom, said hub having a closable bore extendingtherethrough communicating with the bore in said head, an elongatecylindrical shank formed on the end of said head opposite said socket,said shank having an axial bore extending therethrough communicatingwith the bore in said head, an angularly truncated sharpened cuttingneedle edge on the end of saidshank opposite said head, a plug slidablyseated in said socket, cooperating interfitting means on said plug andsocket to align said plug and socket and prevent relative rotationthere'between, an elongate rod fixed on said plug to extend through thebore in said shank, said rod having a diameter substantially less thanthe diameter of the bore in said shank, a restraining element fixed tothe distal end of said rod and extending slightly beyond said needleedge of the shank to hold nerve roots and meninges away from the openneedle end of said shank and prevent clogging thereof by soft tissues,whereby to reduce pain to the patient during aspiration of fluids usedfor diagnosis of inter-spinal lesions.

2. A myelography needle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said restrainingelement comprises a single loop formed on the distal end of said rod,said loop having its major lateral dimension slightly le ssthan thediameter of the bore of said shank, said rod and said loop having alength such that upon seal seating of said plug in said socket theterminal end of said loop will extend slightly beyond the truncated endof said shank;

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooperating interfittingmeans on said plug and socket for aligning and preventing relativerotation therebetween comprises a notch formed in said socket and aguide key formed in said plug for engagement in said notch.

1. A diagnostic myelography needle for injecting fluids into andaspirating fluids from the spinal canal of a living patient, comprisinga generally cylindrical head, said head having an axial bore extendingtherethrough, a socket formed in one end of said head communicating withthe axial bore in said head, a hub integrally formed with said head andextending laterally therefrom, said hub having a closable bore extendingtherethrough communicating with the bore in said head, an elongatecylindrical shank formed on the end of said head opposite said socket,said shank having an axial bore extending therethrough communicatingwith the bore in said head, an angularly truncated sharpened cuttingneedle edge on the end of said shank opposite said head, a plug slidablyseated in said socket, cooperating interfitting means on said plug andsocket to align said plug and socket and prevent relative rotationtherebetween, an elongate rod fixed on said plug to extend through thebore in said shank, said rod having a diameter substantially less thanthe diameter of the bore in said shank, a restraining element fixed tothe distal end of said rod and extending slightly beyond said needleedge of the shank to hold nerve roots and meninges away from the openneedle end of said shank and prevent clogging thereof by soft tissues,whereby to reduce pain to the patient during aspiration of fluids usedfor diagnosis of inter-spinal lesions.
 2. A myelography needle asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said restraining element comprises a singleloop formed on the distal end of said rod, said loop having its majorlateral dimension slightly less than the diameter of the bore of saidshank, said rod and said loop having a length such that upon sealseating of said plug in said socket the terminal end of said loop willextend slightly beyond the truncated end of said shank.
 3. A device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the cooperating interfitting means on saidplug and socket for aligning and preventing relative rotationtherebetween comprises a notch formed in said socket and a guide keyformed in said plug for engagement in said notch.